Qualitative parameters and nutritive value of combined maize-sorghum silage
2003
Biro, D.,Slovak Agricultural Univ., Nitra (Slovak Republic) | Juracek, M.,Slovak Agricultural Univ., Nitra (Slovak Republic) | Cermak, B.,University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic)
In this paper qualitative parameters and nutritive value of combined maize - sorghum silages were obtained and compared with values of maize silage. In laboratory conditions sorghum (Sorghum dochna) and maize (Zea mays) materials were silaged at a ratio of 70:30. Maize was harvested at maturity stage at the end of wax-line and sorghum at flowering (length 15 mm) stage. The trial had two variants of silaged matter: K û control variant, material silaged (dry matter content of 299.3 g/kg) without treatment, E û experimental variant, sorghum and maize (dry matter content 312.1 g/kg) materials with 0.5 kg of biological additive (composed four following strains of Lactobacillus û L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, L. brevis, L. buchneri) added per ton of silaged matter. Fermentation ran eight weeks in silage units SJ-750 of about 15 cubic dm capacity at 20û25 d degree C temperature. At the end of fermentation samples were taken to assess the quality of the fermentation (pH, lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid and alcohol) and for chemical analyses of nutrient content. Differences between variants was evaluate statistically by the Statgraphics program. In comparison with maize silages (table values) maize-sorghum silages had higher contents of crude protein, crude fiber and lower contents of fat and nitrogen free extracts. The biological additive to the experimental combined silages decreased the content of alcohol and increased the content of acetic acid, pH value and crude protein content. All silages (control and experimental) had in common a lactic acid content higher than 10 g per kilogram of the initial matter, a pH value lower than 3.7 and an acetic acid content higher than 40 g per kilogram of dry matter. Combined maize-sorghum silages satisfied the first grade of quality only in lactic acid content. Authors recommend increasing the ratio of maize up to 50% of silaged matter for improving the quality of fermentation process and nutritive value of combined silages.
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